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not　believe　that　either　the　Empress　Theresa　or　the　Archduke　Charles
will　act　in　a　hostile　manner　toward　you。〃

〃And　if　they　should　do　so；　I　would　not　tolerate　it；〃　exclaimed
Thugut。　〃My　adversaries；　whosoever　they　may　be；　had　better　beware　of
my　elephant　foot　not　stamping　them　into　the　ground。　I　hate　that
boastful；　revolutionary　France；　and　to　remain　at　peace　with　her　is
equivalent　to　drawing　toward　us　the　ideas　of　the　revolution　and　of　a
general　convulsion。　Short…sighted　people　will　not　believe　it；　and
they　are　my　enemies　because　I　am　a　true　friend　of　Austria。　But　being
a　true　friend　of　Austria；　I　must　combat　all　those　who　dare　oppose
and　impede　me；　for　in　my　person　they　oppose　and　impede　Austria。
First　of　all　things；　it　is　necessary　for　me　to　get　rid　of　those
newspaper　editors　and　scribblers；　they　are　arrogant；　insolent
fellows　who　imagine　they　know　every　thing　and　are　able　to　criticise
every　thing；　and　who　feel　called　upon　to　give　their　opinion　about
all　things　and　on　all　occasions　because　they　know　how　to　wield　a
goose…quill。　The　best　thing　we　could　do　would　be　to　suppress　all
newspapers　and　periodicals。　Shaping　the　course　of　politics
ourselves；　we　do　not　need　any　newspapers；　which　after　all　are
nothing　but　ruminating　oxen　of　what　we　have　eaten　and　digested
already；　the　people　do　not　understand　any　thing　about　it；　nor　is　it
necessary　that　they　should。　The　people　have　to　work；　to　obey；　to　pay
taxes；　and；　if　necessary；　to　give　up　their　lives　for　their
sovereign；　they　need　not　know　any　thing　further　about　politics；　and
if　they　do；　it　is　generally　detrimental　to　their　obedience。　Let　us
drive　away；　then；　that　noxious　crowd　of　newspaper　writers　and
pamphleteers　who　dare　enlighten　the　people　by　their　political　trash。
Ah；　I　will　teach　Count　Erlach　that　it　is　a　little　dangerous　to
become　a　newspaper　editor　and　to　serve　up　entremets　of　historical
reminiscences　to　the　people　of　Vienna！　I　will　cram　them　down　his　own
throat　in　such　a　manner　as　to　deprive　him〃

〃Count　Erlach　is　the　author　of　the　article　your　excellency　read　to
me　just　now？〃　asked　Count　Saurau；　in　great　terror。

〃There；　his　name　is　affixed　to　it　in　large　letters；〃　replied　Thugut；
contemptuously；　〃he　has　not　even　taken　pains　to　conceal　it。　We　have
to　return　thanks　to　him　for　his　sincerity；　and　I　hope　you　will　take
the　trouble　of　expressing　our　gratitude　to　him。〃

〃What　does　your　excellency　want　me　to　do？〃　asked　the　police
minister；　anxiously。　〃I　believe　it　would　not　be　prudent　for　us　to
make　much　ado　about　it。〃

〃Of　course　not；〃　said　Thugut；　laughing。　〃Do　I　like　to　make　much　ado
about　any　thing；　which　would　only　give　rise　to　scandal　and　idle
gossip？　Just　reflect　a　while；　my　dear　little　count。　What　did　we　do；
for　instance；　with　the　Neapolitan　Count　Montalban；　who　became　a
thorn　in　our　side；　and　endeavored　to　gain　power　over　the　emperor？
Did　we　accuse　him　of　high　treason？　Did　we　prefer　any　charges　against
him　at　all？　We　merely　caused　him　to　disappear；　and　no　one　know　what
had　become　of　the　interesting　and　handsome　count。　People　spoke　for
three　or　four　days　about　his　mysterious　disappearance；　and　then
forgot　all　about　it。　＇Footnote：　Lebensbilder；　vol。　1。；　p。　321。＇　My
dear　sir；　there　is　nothing　like　oubliettes　and　secret　prisons。　I
have　often　already　preached　that　to　you；　and　you　always　forget　it。
Violence！　Who　will　be　such　a　fool　as　to　betray　his　little　secrets　by
acts　of　open　violence？　We　happen　to　stand　on　the　great　stage　of
life；　and；　like　every　other　stage；　there　are　trap…doors　in　the
floor；　through　which　those　will　disappear　who　have　performed　their
parts。　Let　us；　therefore；　cause　Count　Erlach；　the　political　writer；
to　vanish　by　means　of　such　a　trap…door。〃

〃I　implore　your　excellency　to　show　indulgence　for　once；〃　said　Count
Saurau；　urgently。　〃Count　Erlach　is　an　intimate　friend　of　Archduke
Charles；　and　even　the　Empress　Theresia　is　attached　to　him。〃

〃The　greater　the　necessity　for　me　to　get　rid　of　him；　and　to　return
my　thanks　in　this　manner　for　the　blows　they　want　to　deal　me　by　means
of　their　historical　reminiscences。　This　Count　Erlach　is　a　very
disgusting　fellow；　at　all　events；　he　would　like　to　play　the
incorruptible　Roman　and　to　shine　by　his　virtue。　There　is　nothing
more　tedious　and　intolerable　than　a　virtuous　man　who　cannot　be　got
at　anywhere。　Count　Erlach　has　now　given　us　a　chance　to　get　hold　of
him；　let　us　improve　it。〃　〃He　has　very　influential　connections；　very
powerful　protectors；　your　excellency。　If　he　should　disappear；　they
will　raise　a　terrible　outcry　about　it；　and　make　it　their　special
business　to　seek　him；　and　if　they　should　not　find　him　they　will　say
we　had　killed　him　because　your　excellency　was　afraid　of　him。〃

〃I　was　afraid　of　him！〃　exclaimed　Thugut；　laughing。　〃As　if　I　ever　had
been　afraid　of　any　one。　Even　an　earthquake　would　not　be　able　to
frighten　me；　and；　like　Fabricius；　I　should　only　look　around　quite
slowly　for　the　hidden　elephant　of　Pyrrhus。　No；　I　know　no　fear；　but　I
want　others　to　feel　fear；　and　for　this　reason　Count　Erlach　must　be
disposed　of。〃

〃Very　well；　let　us　get　rid　of　him；〃　replied　Count　Saurau；　〃but　in　a
simple　manner　and　before　the　eyes　of　the　whole　public。　Believe　me
for　once；　your　excellency；　I　know　the　ground　on　which　we　are
standing；　I　know　it　to　be　undermined　and　ready　to　explode　and　blow
us　up。　Count　Erlach's　disappearance　would　be　the　burning　match　that
might　bring　about　the　explosion。　Let　us　be　cautious；　therefore。　Let
us　remove　him　beyond　the　frontier；　and　threaten　him　with　capital
punishment　in　case　he　ever　should　dare　to　reenter　Austria；　but　let
us　permit　him　now　to　leave　the　country　without　any　injury　whatever。〃

〃Well；　be　it　so。　I　will　let　you　have　your　own　way；　my　dear　anxious
friend。　Have　Erlach　arrested　to…day；　let　two　police　commissioners
transport　him　beyond　the　frontier；　and　threaten　him　with　capital
punishment；　or　with　my　revengewhich　will　be　the　same　to　himin
case　he　should　return。　Let　the　scribblers　and　newspapers　learn；　too；
why　Count　Erlach　was　exiled。　The　prudent　men　among　them　will　be
warned　by　his　fate；　and　hereafter　hold　their　tongues；　the　stupid　and
audacious　fellows；　however；　will　raise　an　outcry　about　the
occurrence；　and　thus　give　us　a　chance　to　get　hold　of　them　likewise。
The　matter　is　settled；　then；　the　aristocratic　newspaper　writer　will
be　transported　from　the　country；　and　that　is　the　end　of　it。
＇Footnote：　Count　Erlach　was　really　transported　beyond　the　Austrian
frontier　by　two　police　commissioners。　Only　after　Thugut's　overthrow
in　1801　was　he　allowed　to　return　to　Austria　and　Vienna。
Lebensbilder；　vol。　1。；　p。　321。＇　But　I　shall　seek　further
satisfaction　for　these　articles　in　the　newspapers。　Oh；　the　new
Empress　Theresia　and　the　archduke　shall　find　out　that　I　am　no　Clesel
or　Lobkowitz　to　be　got　rid　of　by　means　of　an　intrigue。　I　shall　try
to　obtain　in　the　course　of　to…day　an　order　from　the　emperor；
removing　the　archduke　from　the　command　of　the　army　and　causing　him
to　retire　into　private　life。　He　wants　peace　and　repose　in　so　urgent
a　manner；　let　him　sleep　and　dream；　then；　while　we　are　up　and　doing。
I　need　a　resolute　and　courageous　general　at　the　head　of　the　army；　a
man　who　hates　the　French；　and　not　one　who　is　friendly　to　them。　But
as　for　the　empress〃

〃Your　excellency；〃　interrupted　Count　Saurau；　with　a　mysterious　air；
〃I　called　upon　you　to…day　for　the　purpose　of　speaking　to　you　about
the　empress；　and　of　cautioning　you　against〃

〃Cautioning　me？〃　exclaimed　Thugut；　with　proud　disdain。　〃What　is　the
matter；　then？〃

〃You　know　assuredly　that　the　Empress　Theresia　has　fully　recovered
from　her　confinement；　and　that　she　has　held　levees　for　a　whole　week
already。〃

〃As　if　I　had　not　been　the　first　to　obtain　an　audience　and　to　kiss
her　hand！〃　exclaimed　Thugut；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃The　empress；〃
continued　Saurau；　〃has　received　the　ambassadors　also；　she　even　had
two　interviews　already　with　the　minister　of　the　French　Republic；
General　Bernadotte。〃

Thugut　suddenly　became　quite　attentive；　and　fixed　his　small；
piercing　eyes　upon　the　police　minister　with　an　expression　of　intense
suspense。

〃Two　interviews？〃　he　asked。　〃And　you　know　what　they　conferred　about
in　these　two　interviews？〃

〃I　should　be　a　very　poor　police　minister；　and　my　secret　agents　would
furnish　me　very　unsatisfactory　information；　if　I　did　not　know　it。〃

〃Well；　let　us　hear　all　about　it；　my　dear　count。　What　did　the　empress
say　to　Bernadotte？〃

〃In　the　first　audience　General　Bernadotte　began　by　reading　his
official　speech　to　her　majesty；　and　the　empress　listened　to　him　with
a　gloomy　air。　But　then　they　entered　upon　a　less　ceremonious
conversation；　and　Bernadotte　assured　the　empress　that　France
entertained　no　hostile　intentions　whatever　against　Naples；　her
native　country。　He　said　he　had　been　authorized　by　the　Directory　of
the　Republic　to　assure　her　majesty　officially　that　she　need　not　feel
any　apprehensions　in　relation　to　Naples；　France　being　animated　by
the　most　friendly　feelings　toward　that　kingdom。　The　face　of　the
empress　lighted　up　at　once；　and　she　replied　to　the　general　in　very
gracious　terms；　and　gave　him　permission　to　renew　his　visits　to　her
majesty　whenever　he　wished　to　communicate　anything　to　her。　He　had
asked　h